Espinoza, 26, declined to sign a new deal with SKC and will depart on a free transfer in a move that will complete a fairytale rise from obscurity. He moved from Honduras to Denver as a 12-year-old and played for a junior college before transferring to Ohio State in 2006.

Drafted in the first round by Kansas City in 2008, Espinoza struggled early but eventually emerged as one of MLS’s finest box-to-box midfielders and started at least 24 games in each of the past three seasons. He is a U.S. citizen but committed to the Honduran national team in ’09. His robust performance as one of his country’s three over-age players at the Olympics led to interest from clubs overseas.

Wigan currently is in 15th place in the Premier League at 4-7-2. The club’s interest in Espinoza had been rumored for some time and the player acknowledged it publicly three weeks ago.

“I'll take some time, because I want to make the right decision,” Espinoza said at the time. “I don't want to make a decision that one day is going to come back and haunt me. I want to think of what's best for me, what's best for my family, where I can succeed.”

Sporting will lose one of the key cogs of a team that has finished first in the Eastern Conference two years running, but coach Peter Vermes doesn’t lack midfield depth. Julio Cesar and Paulo Nagamura are experienced and 20-year-old Spaniard Oriol Rosell, signed out of Barcelona’s famed academy, made his MLS debut in August and scored one goal in 127 minutes of action.

“Happy 4 Roger,” Sporting CEO Robb Heineman wrote on Twitter. “Glad 2 c him get the chance to reach his aspirations. Time for someone 2 step up. I know someone will. #sportingpipeline”